The potential for combining indigenous and western knowledge in reducing vulnerability to environmental hazards in small island developing states

The benefits of indigenous knowledge within disaster risk reduction are gradually being acknowledged and identified. However, despite this acknowledgement there continues to be a gap in reaching the right people with the correct strategies for disaster risk reduction.This paper identifies the need for a specific framework identifying how indigenous and western knowledge may be combined to mitigate against the intrinsic effects of environmental processes and therefore reduce the vulnerability of rural indigenous communities in small island developing states (SIDS) to environmental hazards. This involves a review of the impacts of environmental processes and their intrinsic effects upon rural indigenous communities in SIDS and how indigenous knowledge has contributed to their coping capacity. The paper concludes that the vulnerability of indigenous communities in SIDS to environmental hazards can only be addressed through the utilisation of both indigenous and Western knowledge in a culturally compatible and sustainable manner.     

The Impact of Uncertainty on Banking Behavior: Evidence from the US Sulfur Dioxide Emissions Allowance Trading Program

In this paper, we study empirically whether uncertainty has an influence on trade in the US sulfur dioxide allowances market. In particular, we investigate the role of uncertainty on banking behavior. To do this, we introduce a tractable, structural model of trading permits under uncertainty. The model establishes a relation between banking behavior and risk preferences, especially prudence in the Kimball (1990) sense. We then test this model using data on allowances, for utilities submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Acid Rain Program, carried over from one year to the next. Evidence is found of imprudence, namely, utilities bank permits in order to favor higher profits. Another finding is that larger utilities do not adopt behavior significantly different from that of smaller ones. This paper was presented at the “International Workshop on Uncertainty in Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Verification, Compliance & Trading” in Warsaw, Poland, September 2004, under the title “Portfolio Management of Emissions Permits and Prudence Behavior.”     

Compliance and Emissions Trading under the Kyoto Protocol: Rules for Uncertain Inventories

A solution is proposed for proving compliance with emission targets and for emissions trading in the event of uncertainties in reported emission inventories. The solution is based on the undershooting concept, from which the mathematical conditions for both proving compliance with a risk α and calculating effective emissions for trading are derived. Based on the reported emission units, the number of permits granted is reduced in proportion to the uncertainty in the inventory. A country whose inventory has higher uncertainty is thereby allotted fewer permits than a country with the same inventory but smaller uncertainty.     

从印度洋地震海啸看中国的巨灾风险

2004年12月26日印度洋海啸给沿岸国家造成了严重灾难,其主要原因是缺乏必要的防范。中国历史上巨灾频发,今后仍存在比较严重的巨灾威胁。预测我国有11个巨灾高风险区,巨灾种类主要为特大洪水、大地震、强台风和特大风暴潮以及大区域持续性严重干旱。建立巨灾防御体系是今后我国减灾工作的重心。     

大型公共活动风险控制研究与分析

大型公共活动人口密度大、流动性强,极易引发安全事故,造成大量人员伤亡和恶劣社会影响。笔者从风险管理角度,提出大型公共活动的风险控制程序,通过方案评估、静态评估、管控能力及应急能力等几方面对大型公共活动进行动态分析。明确划分大型公共活动场所的重点部位;将大型公共活动的管控能力预警分为4个等级,界定相应人群容量特征,并针对不同级别提出相应安全管理措施;强调整体容量,重点部位容量的确定应与项目目标协同一致,形成大型公共活动风险管理控制的新思路,对大型公共活动风险管理具有重要意义,值得在一般大型公共活动风险评估中广泛应用。     

控制图分析法在煤矿安全管理中的应用

根据实践,介绍控制图分析法在煤矿安全管理中的应用,将控制图法应用于安全风险指标的统计分析可以对风险指标的发展趋势作出科学判断,评价系统安全状态是否有明显好转或恶化,检验安全管理及技术措施是否有效。以样本矿井为例,分别以月平均受伤人数、月平均计划外瓦斯超限次数为风险评价指标进行控制图分析。应用伤亡事故控制图进行安全管理,其主要优点是能够明确伤亡事故管理目标,掌握事故发展规律与趋势,有利于总结经验,吸取教训,在动态中进行安全管理。控制图分析法在煤矿安全管理中有着简便、实用、动态、预测等多种优点,对煤矿企业安全管理具有推广和借鉴意义。     

基于风险管理方法的危险源评价分级研究

以化工企业内涉及危险物质的装置、设施而构成的危险源为研究对象,在简要分析重大危险源评价分级的作用与方法的基础上,针对中小型化工企业,提出基于风险管理方法的危险源评价分级概念。通过计算危险源引发事故的概率和事故后果来确定危险源的风险值,并将其分为4个等级,指导企业制定合适的安全管理制度、使用恰当的安全技术措施,以最小化的代价确保危险源安全运行,从而提高中小型化工企业的危险源管理水平。     

面向2020年我国安全生产的若干战略问题思考

本文简要论述了我国现代化进程中安全生产工作的现状、发展趋势和面临的主要问题;围绕2020年实现全国安全生产状况根本性好转,安全生产水平达到或接近世界中等发达国家水平的中长期目标,分析探讨了安全专业人才、科技兴安、安全生产标准、安全培训、安全文化、中小企业安全生产与职业危害预防、土地使用安全规划与厂房选址安全、农业生产安全、公共安全与应急救援保障体系建设等若干战略问题。     

航空安全风险管理模式探讨

航空安全需要动态管理,因此构建并实施基于问题管理的航空安全风险管理模式就非常有意义。本文探讨了航空公司、机场和空管的安全管理工作如何围绕航空安全问题为中心进行制度、组织、日常管理构建,注重问题的识别、分析和解决,切实有效的地解决安全问题。实施安全问题管理变专职安全管理为全员安全管理;变间接安全管理为直接安全管理;变滞后安全管理为超前安全管理;变僵化安全管理为创新安全管理;变被动安全管理为主动安全管理;变模糊安全管理为务实安全管理。无疑这种管理模式均适合民航三大主体的安全管理需求。     

商贸市场火灾风险评估方法

通过对典型商贸市场的实地调研,依据历年商贸市场火灾事故统计数据,采用将统计方法与专家评分相结合的方法,运用系统安全及模糊数学的相关理论,提出了商贸市场火灾风险评估方法,从而为商贸市场的安全管理及火灾风险评价提供了切实可行的参考依据。